Yoga for Heart: 5 Poses You Must Try

1 month ago

Reading Time: 4 minutes

Heart ailments are no longer restricted to old people. These days’ even young people and children are succumbing to heart-related troubles and disorders. Put the blame on our sedentary lifestyles, irregular and wrong eating habits, immobility and lack of physical activity, the list can go on and on!

Unfortunately, the uncomfortable truth is that it is practically impossible to lead a completely healthy lifestyle these days. However, a couple of things that we can definitely do is – ensure that whatever we do, we do it in moderation and try to incorporate at least a few healthy practices in our everyday life.

One healthy practice that can surely fit well in our daily lifestyle is Yoga! People who have witnessed the positives of Yoga in their life will tell you, that Yoga indeed is a way of life! It’s by far one of the most natural and healthy ways to improve our overall health and well-being.

Why is Yoga for Heart Important?

Since Yoga is an art of practicing various postures coupled with a strong focus on breathing, it has an immense impact on the respiratory system and therefore affects the heart too. Therefore, Yoga for Heart has the following benefits:

And most importantly, Yoga is a great stress-buster and is known to also deal with depression and anxiety effectively.

So, what are you waiting for? Dive deep into this magical ocean of Yoga and take your first step towards a ‘Healthy and Fitter You’! To start off, you can make this highly doable Yoga poses an essential part of your everyday lifestyle:

Trikonasana (Triangle Pose)

This is a heart opening pose! Done in a standing position, it is also known to promote and build cardiovascular health. Additionally, it also increases your stamina and helps relieve stress. Stand straight with your feet apart. Ensure that the weight of your body is equally balanced between both the feet. Inhale deeply and as you start to exhale bend on the right side, keeping your waist straight and making your left hand come straight up with the right hand reaching down towards the floor. Stretch maximum and keep yourself steady. Keep taking long breaths. Now inhaling, slowly come up bringing your arms to the side. Repeat the same on the other side.

Utkatasana (Chair Pose)

This is an important Yoga for Heart pose – resembling the posture of sitting on a chair, this pose stimulates the heart and stretches the chest area. You may be thinking that sitting on the chair is so simple, but remember, you are sitting on an imaginary chair here. And trust us, this powerful pose needs quite a lot of determination. Stand erect with your feet apart. Spread your hands out in front and face your palm downwards. Now, bend the knees slightly as if you are sitting on an imaginary chair. Continue to be in this posture for as long as you can and keep in mind not to overdo it. Once you start to feel uncomfortable come back to the standing position.

Marjariasana (Cat Pose)

A natural continuation of the Chair pose is a Cat Pose. This posture helps the heart rate to settle down and become normal and rhythmic again. The pose also aids in boosting the blood circulation. Get down on your fours with your posture forming a table and your hands and feet resembling the legs of the table. Look straight. As you inhale, raise your chin outwards, tilt your head back, and raise the tailbone. Hold the posture for a few seconds and then follow-up with the counterpoise. Exhale, drop the chin inwards towards your chest and arch your back upwards. Hold the posture for a few seconds and the return to the original table like position.

Shavasana (Corpse Pose)

This is an excellent stress buster. This pose is the counter pose for almost all Yoga poses. It allows you to connect with your body, relax, and breathe after an active Yoga session. Helping you to calm down, this pose also helps to improve the health of the heart and the body. This is also the time when the body starts to deep health itself. Lie flat on your back with your eyes closed. Don’t use any pillows or cushions. Place your arms on the sides a little apart from your body. Keep the palm open and facing upwards and slowly relax. Start giving attention to each part of the body starting from your toe and move upwards till you reach your head. Stay in this pose for 8-10 minutes. Once you are completely relaxed and calm, slowly turn towards your right side. Lie in this position for a minute and gently sit up using the support of your right hand. Stay seated in Sukhasana. Continue to keep the eyes closed and take a few deep breaths. Now slowly and gently open your eyes and continue to feel the calmness all around you.

Pranayama

Pranayama is an essential component of Yoga for heart and takes the form of slow breathing exercises that offer immediate relaxation. They also are known to be very effective in treating heart ailments. Anulom-Vilom or Alternate Nostril breathing helps cleanse the nerves of the body and also purifies the blood.

Conclusion

A last word of caution! Always perform these postures under the guidance of a Yoga expert for he/she will be able to effectively guide you on what’s best for your overall health and well-being. Also, along with Yoga for Heart, it is important to follow healthy eating habits.